The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) is aiming to improve the salience and usability of comparative quality information for consumers by incorporating a Star Rating system in its Compare websites. Currently, Nursing Home Compare features an overall star rating for each facility and star ratings for other important categories of health care quality. Earlier this year, CMS introduced star ratings to Physician Compare, which uses them to rate a limited number of measures for group practices. In April 2015, CMS plans to introduce star ratings on Hospital Compare for the HCAHPS measures.

There will be a "dry run" of Star Ratings for HCAHPS measures in preparation for the April 2015 public reporting beginning on September 15, 2014 and ending on October 14, 2014. The dry run corresponds with the Hospital Inpatient Quality Reporting (IQR) Program preview period for the December 2014 public reporting of HCAHPS measures.

CMS is using the IQR preview period as an opportunity to dry run star ratings for HCAHPS measures (HCAHPS Star Ratings). Therefore, your preview report will include the standard data you receive for HCAHPS measures and will also include star ratings data for HCAHPS measures. Please note that the HCAHPS Star Ratings included in your preview report will not be publicly reported in December 2014. All other data besides the HCAHPS Star Ratings in your preview report will be publicly reported on Hospital Compare in December.